I've done a very similar post on this in the past, titled "Me my training & my food". But I thought I'd go into a little more detail on this topic as it's something that I'm asked about on a daily basis, and I get it. I understand what it's like to wonder what other people eat to achieve their goals, I do it too! All the time in fact. But the bottom line here is, this is what works for ME. We're all different, some of us have intolerance's, some of us digest things in complicated ways, most of us have different idea's on our ideal picture of health or body shape, and some of us just have fussy taste buds.

It's all about finding what works for you, while making sure that you give your body the nutrition it needs to function at it's best.

Here's a little from my previous post on my eating habits:

My philosophy on life is to live and LOVE a balanced lifestyle that lets you have the best of both worlds. Which is exactly what I do. I consider myself to be healthy because I look after myself, I look after my body (I eat good meals and i workout to keep myself in shape) AND I look after my mind.

When
I say I look after my mind, I mean I allow myself to have that balance I
keep talking about by... YES, having sweets when I feel like it, going
out for dinner and having a few drinks. Why? Because it makes me feel
good, on both the inside and outside! Now, I don't mean that having
chocolate everyday with burgers and vodka or wine every night is a good
idea, I mean having these things in

MODERATION

is a good idea.

For
me, I have a cheeky treat maybe 2 or 3 times a week, because it works
for me and my body. I know that it won't ruin my progress, it might make
me bloated like crazy for a day or so, but after that I'll be back on
track.

Don't try and force yourself to live a life that you don't enjoy.

I'll start by addressing one of the biggest questions I'm asked about my diet... No, I'm not vegan, not vegetarian, not dairy free.. I'm not anything.

I eat all food groups and that's the way I like it.

I base majority (80%) of my meals off a few simple rules:

1. Limit sugar

2. Limit saturated fat

3. Keep it colourful

4. Brown over white

What do these rules mean?

There are no foods that are completely out of bounds for me. Only foods that I limit myself to small amounts. Rule number 1 & 2 are to keep sugars and saturated fats as low as possible. If you're after a lean body and yep, I'm going to say it... 6 pack abs, then these are things you need to limit for yourself. Sugar is a big one, and something we consume more of than what we are probably aware.

A product on a shelf might
scream at you LOW FAT, GUILT FREE, but generally these products are
packed with sugars and sodium (salt) to over compensate what they have been
stripped of. All you have to do is start reading nutrition labels and be aware of what you are eating.

In terms of keeping your plate colourful, all this means is to eat a variety of foods. It's the easiest way to consume your daily fruit and veg intake! A beautiful plate filled with different fruit and veggies not only looks pretty, but is pretty damn good for your body. They all contain different types of vitamins, minerals and good stuff for your body. So it's the best way to make sure you're packing yourself full of great nutrition.

Finally... browns VS whites. Here I'm talking about breads, pasta and rice. Wholegrain foods stamp all over white foods because they're low in sugar, low in saturated fat, are a good QUALITY source of carbohydrates and are high in both soluble/insoluble fibre. In general - brown is better for you.

Here is a rundown of what one days meals look like for me.

NOTE:
this is based on my goals and my personal preferences, this is in no
way specific professional nutritional advice and is simply examples of
what I eat for the way that my body works.

Breakfast:

On most days, oats!

-3 heaped tablespoons of wholegrain quick oats

-2 tablespoons chopped almonds

-2 tablespoons fresh blueberries

-1 teaspoon pure honey

-small amount of ground cinnamon

-4 heaped tablespoons Chobani no fat greek yoghurt

Mix all together and put in the fridge overnight. I usually make a few days worth on a Sunday so it's ready to go for each morning!

My other favourite breakfast option is really simple - eggs on toast.

-2 slices Burgen Rye bread

-2 poached eggs

-1 or 2 tablespoons avocado

On
rest days/non training days I will usually lower my carbohydrate intake,
by having eggs for breakfast instead of oats and without the toast. I'll usually scramble 2 or 3 eggs with some capsicum, spinach and cottage cheese.

Lunch:

Most days for lunch I'll have either a chicken salad or chicken & veg.

A huge staple in my pantry is canned brown lentils. They are amazing! I add them to all of my salads.

A normal salad for lunch for me would consist of:

- 120 grams chicken

- big handful spinach leaves

- cherry tomatoes

- some chopped walnuts

- 4-5 tablespoons brown lentils

- capsicum

- cucumber

- low fat feta cheese or goats feta cheese

- balsamic vinegar

Occassionally I'll add Quinoa to a salad as well instead of lentils.

My other favourite lunch option is a brown rice vege salad.

- 120 grams chicken

- small handful spinach leaves

- roast pumpkin

- roast zucchini

- pepita seeds

- pine nuts

- 4-5 heaped tablespoons brown rice

Dinner:

Dinner is always pretty basic for me,

a lot of people would call it boring but it's usually
plain old meat and veg, in different ways. Beef or lamb salads are a hot choice
for me, very similiar to my lunch. I also love stirfry's with any green veg
and healthy variations to dishes like chow mein which you can find plenty of on the internet!

I
generally have a snack in the mid morning, and another mid afternoon.

My snack
options are usually smoothies, fruit and nuts, a quest bar or some form of protein
muffin, banana or carrot cake that I make myself.

Example snacks:

Berry nana smoothie:

- 1 handful frozen blueberries

- 1 small ripe banana

- handful spinach leaves

- 1 tablespoon chia seeds

- 300ml coconut water

PB Rice Crackers

- 2 wholegrain thin rice cakes

- 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter per rice cake

Check my previous blog posts for other snack recipes such as muffins and slices!

Supplements.

Protein:

I take protein and I have since I began training seriously. I take a
good quality form of whey protein immediately after each training
session purely for muscle recovery and tone. It's great for people who
want to recover well and also helps with muscle growth and definition. There are A LOT of brands out there who sell good quality Whey proteins. I'm currently using Gold Standard.

Oxyshred:

I love it. as a fat burner it does amazing things taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. But for me it's also my morning coffee. As I'm not a big coffee drinker, I get a lot of my morning energy from my glass of oxyshred. It wakes me up and makes me feel amazing. It's also great to use as a preworkout before exercise.